Breaking The Habit
by Courtnylovesramen
Summary: Years before the end of his life, Sora's world is falling apart. contains yaoi
1. Chapter 1

Breaking the Habit Breaking the Habit

Chapter one "Mentos Fresh" Start

KH doesn't belong to me it belongs to Nomura and all those other peoples who worked on it…or whatever. I started this the summer after my freshman year of high school, am now I'm fixing to graduate…slow progress. Well, I actually finished this sophomore year, but like all my early works it was God awful, so I'm revamping it, this time with Kairi/Namine action! Yaaaaay! I think, anyways, I'm not sure a/b that…but anyways, read this or whatever.

* * *

Like any other teenager, Sora liked to sleep in. His usual waking hours were any time between twelve to two-ish, depending on whenever he collapsed on his bedroom floor (or the living room, whichever). The same applied on school days, when he knew he had to get up early, so it was pretty much a set schedule for him to sleep through most of the day. Dad had to wake him up for school, which usually meant waving a lighter around his face - the pain from the burning was a sure way to get up quick. But, seeing as how it was summer, Dad wasn't home so it was Leon's job to get Sora out of bed.

Leon didn't have the patience to go look for lighters (they were with Dad's cigarettes, and he hid those regularly from Mom, who was clueless that he downed about forty packs a day). He preferred the "bang down the door and scream 'till he woke up" approach, which worked just as well.

'But why the hell is he still upstairs?' Leon thought, looking up at the clock, which clearly stated that he left Sora's room about thirty minutes ago. His brother was completely incoherent in the morning - and every other time of day - but it never took him a half-hour to get up out of bed. 'I swear to God if Selphie or that other one is in there I'm gonna…kick them out. Again.' The window was their entrance of choice lately even though they fully well knew where the door was. The smaller and more annoying of the two had bought some Dawson's Creek DVDs, so they were probably to blame for that. "Sora the ferry's leaving in twenty minutes! Hurry up or you're staying home with dad all summer! And get those girls out of your room, I know they're up there!"

"Herpes or AIDS?"

"Herpes."

"Utena or Marimite?"

"Utena."

"Raisinettes or Milk Duds?"

"Raisinettes."

"Me or Selphie?"

"…."

"What?"

"If I say you Selphie will hit me. If I say Selphie you'll hit me."

"Oh my gosh, Sora! I wouldn't do that! You're in the _Friendly Circle!_ This is a Kairi-certified hit-free zone."

"For sure? You're not just saying that to soften me up for the punches?"

"For sure!"

"…You?"

As Sora wailed in pain from the multiple shin-kicks he'd received from Selphie (he forgot that it was a Kairi-free hit zone, not Selphie-free), Leon began ranting about the ferry leaving or something like that. He was in too much excruciating pain to be able to catch everything. "If you don't get down here right now you're getting left behind!"

"Left behind!" Kairi echoed, sliding off the edge of his bed to get her bags, not bothering to ask whether or not his legs were okay. He wondered why he even got brutalized the way he did- Selphie didn't look even remotely angry as she hastily threw **stuff™** into his bags. "Get up Sora!" she scolded, "Or you'll get left behind!"

"Left behind!"

"Alright already! Maybe if my legs weren't broken I could move around!"

This was more or less a daily occurrence, the exception being the internal bleeding in his legs. Usually that was saved for…well, wait, that was daily too. Sora needed less violent friends. Maybe if he had a clue though, he wouldn't have answered that question. He had the feeling that if he'd said Selphie Kairi would've kicked him anyways. The Friendly Circles never lived up to their namesakes. "Legs…legs…can't feel them-hey, Selphie, get out of my **stuff™! **Stop being such a snoop!"

"Snoop? I'm getting you packed, Backstabber. What in here do you not want seen?"

"Leave that alone!"

The mini argument continued for a while, or at least until Leon came upstairs and pwned everyone.

'This isn't fair…why do I always get backseat? Shotgun should be mine regardless…stupid Kairi. This sucks' Sora thought miserably, trying to get comfortable with all the bags the other three had thrown on him. It was _his _(brother's) car, so why did he always get landed in back? 'Underneath all the bags too…this isn't fair. Kairi and Selphie's parents should've driven them to the ferry; Leon and I aren't their keepers…this sucks.'

"Stop pouting back there!" Kairi cheered, grinning at him and her sister as she fanned herself in the front seat, "you two should've gotten here faster…heh heh…"

"Let's pelt her with Milk Duds when we get on the ferry" Selphie whispered.

"Agreed."

The ferry was…horrible. There was no room, Kairi ended up just hitting both of them for throwing Milk Duds at them, and Leon ran off with all the munny. So far not very fun.

* * *

"Have you ever been to Twilight Town before?" Selphie asked, leaning on the boat's railing, apparently not bothered by the height as much as Sora was. The two of them were outside where the cars were kept, avoiding Kairi's wrath. They'd be in Twilight Town in about in hour but Sora was already sick out of his mind.

"Ugh. I don't think so…Mom and Dad took us to some T-Town…but I think that was Traverse Town or something like that…I think I'm gonna hurl…"

"Then look away from me, nasty! I just bought these shorts!"

He didn't hurl, but had the feeling he'd feel better if he just would. He thought of making a joke about Selphie's shorts (they had moogels on the back pockets for crying out loud), but he wasn't in any condition for a beating when his stomach was busy doing backflips. They were going to Twilight Town for summer break because Leon had gotten a 374,455,4890 billion on his SATs or something like that. Kairi and Selphie were visiting the Older Sister who'd gotten married to some Guy a few months earlier. Since Leon was a cheapskate and Mom/Dad didn't have any relatives in Twilight Town, Sora and Leon were staying at Older Sister and Guy's house for the summer.

'It's gonna be all awkward' Sora thought, propping his head over the railing so if he did puke it would be in the crystally ocean instead of his friend's lame shorts. 'I haven't seen Aeris since…oh, last year. Whatever. I've never met this Guy, which means awkward conversations and stuff…I'm gonna puke….'

All in all the summer was expected to be fun; he was in a different town with no parents and a buttload of munny (if Leon stopped hoarding it, that was). But besides that, he was interested in getting away from the stupid islands for once. He'd lived there all his life and the only time he'd ever left was to go to the other T-Town so Mom could buy a different kind of nail polish remover than was sold on the islands. Destiny Islands were nice and all, but he wanted to see snow! And different people for once - everyone in Destiny Islands knew every one else. This meant no privacy, especially when your friends were the Gossip Twins. "Maybe I'll have a hot summer romance" Sora gurgled, teetering side to side. "As if" Selphie chirped, looking at her butt (or the moogels). "You look five years younger than you actually are. Any girl who dates you is a pedo. And plus, that kind of thing only happens in fanfictions and the like. You spend too much time online."

"I'm gonna hurl…"

"Then point the other way! These shorts are new!"

* * *

"Selphie!"

"Aeris!"  
"Kairi!"

"Sora!"

"Leon!"

"…"

"Eeek!"

Meeting Aeris and Guy and Guy's Younger Brother was actually really fun. Except for Leon, but just 'cause he was socially inept. While he hid in the shadows unpacking, Sora chose the less aloof choice and chatted while avoiding doing any work. Guy was actually Cloud, and Guy's Younger Brother was actually Tidus. Cloud hid in the shadows too, and Tidus was the one walking around with Aeris showing them the house (and his blitzball trophies). 'I have a feeling Cloud and Leon will get along…' Sora thought, glancing back at the two of them as they avoided human contact.

The house seemed a little too big if there were only three people living there, and Sora half-hoped a murder mystery would occur - without his involvement, that is. Big houses just screamed for murders to happen, right? Selphie agreed and Kairi called them immature, but they could tell she thought it was probable too.

Since it was only a three bedroom house, the girls got the extra room (the one with all the trophies Tidus wasn't too modest about) and Sora and Leon were stuck on the fold out bed. Or that's what everyone else was told. Sora knew full well that Leon would make him sleep on the other couch that conveniently didn't fold out. "Unless the murder mystery actually does happen. In that case Leon would be the first to die."

"But how? It can't be something typical, like stabbage or something."

"True. Tripping? Maybe he'll trip over one of his shoes. You know he brought like six pairs? Why does he need so many shoes? His hair already makes him look like a girl, so why have girly habits?"

"Funny how you never say that to his face."

"That's because I'd like to keep mine."

"Do you two always have conversations like this?"

Sora Tidus and Selphie were on the back porch, eating ice cream they stole out of the freezer. Kairi had run off somewhere in search of intense summer romance while Aeris made dinner. Cloud and Leon were brooding in the shadows or something. They seemed to get along, what with having so much in common. "What's it to you? If you don't like it go away" Selphie said tartly, posing as she licked more ice cream of the stick.

"I didn't mean it like that! It just seems a little…weird that you're plotting to kill his brother or whatever. My bad."

Selphie was being overly mean to Tidus and she'd just met him. He was apologizing to her and tripping all over himself to look good (he'd shown off his trophies for about the eighth time. Selphie made the effort to show no interest). It couldn't have been more obvious they wanted each other.

'I suppose that's a little weird with the whole related by marriage thing…but they totally like each other. Great. With Kairi stalking boys out in the street I'm the third wheel. Ugh. Think I'll go find Leon or whatever… '

Conversation with Leon was about as stimulating as bashing your head against a rock, though…that wouldn't really be any better than watching the lovebirds and their budding romance. Aeris was a no-go, since she only wanted to talk about girl things like being married and flower shops and stuff. He had two girls for friends, he'd had all he could take of marriage and flowers. "I'm gonna go in town" he said, leaving Selphie and Tidus behind as he complemented her ugly moogel shorts. 'Defiantly attempting to flirt. No way would anyone but her think those don't look disgusting.'

* * *

Yay, chapter one is done! Oh yeah, yuri isn't really the focus of this story, so if that's what everyone was expecting…sorry. And, on another note, Irvine has been cut from this story.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2 Possibility of Something More

So…yeah. I've been pretty wrapped up in Untitled-Notepad for a while now. I'm sorry, those of you who've been wanting me to update other stuff. My bad. Btw, "Macoroni-Horen-So" is an old manga that's actually hella good. It was mentioned by Yuiko in XXX Holic (by Clamp, not Me), so I decided to check it out. Hard to find, but worth reading.

* * *

"Hey you! Buy my **stuff™!"**

"No no! My **stuff™** is better! It comes with GPS signaling!"

"My **stuff™ **will cure the common cold if you take it with Nyquil!"

"No thanks, I don't want any **stuff™**…I have boatloads of it at home…"

**Stuff™ Stuff™ Stuff™…**Twilight town was like one big **Stuff™** commercial. It wasn't _that_ great. 'Oh hey…I don't know where I am…'

Sora left the house to go down the street to the **StuffMart™,** realized he had no munny, turned back up the street and wound up miles away from the house, at night. "Great, now I'm probably gonna get abducted and held ransom…oh hey, yeah! Maybe my kidnapper will be a hot rich lady…but then again if she were rich why would she be holding me for ransom? So much for my summer romance…"

Sora was not very impressed by Twilight Town so far. It was loud and crowded, and there was too much **stuff™**. He came for a vacation, not a nuisance. Plus, he'd already witness about two attempted muggings and could've sworn he heard gunshots somewhere far off; the real kind, not some kid playing some violent video game. "I should've just stayed home and watched Selphie torment Tidus. At least that wouldn't have been as loud. And possibly wouldn't result in me getting shot or mugged. Probably."

He considered calling Leon on his cell phone, but then remembered that he left his cell phone at Tidus' place, and Leon never turned his on anyway (it kind of defeated the point of having one in the first place, right?).

'Crap. I'm lost. Forget my hot summer romance; I'm probably going to end up hacked up and half-eaten in a garbage bag in some psycho-killer's basement. Stupid stupidness. Twilight Town sucks.'

He would have to suck up his manly pride and ask someone for directions. 'I know this goes against all that we as men have worked for…but I don't want to end up killed as someone's meal. Plus, Kairi and Selphie will eat my candy I stashed in my bag if I don't re-hide it…'

The new problem was not pride or anything like that, but rather who to ask for directions. It was a little awkward running up to someone he didn't know and asking them how to get back to where he was staying. "Augh! Curse Twilight Town to hell!"

As Sora flailed dramatically (if someone saw him spazzing out the chances of him being approached went up significantly), he hit something/one with his closed fist. "Oh my God I'm sorry did I hurt – oh. Oh. Um…."

Turns out it was some_one_ he'd hit right in the face.

A sickly-looking blonde girl, to be exact. A sickly-looking blonde girl with a bleeding lip.

If Sora were a jerk or completely self-absorbed (which he sometimes was, what could be said) he would've just pretended to not have noticed he'd given a girl a fat lip and ran off to try to find his way home without being molested or murdered. Or both.

Since he was not a self-absorbed jerk, the only logical thing to do was to help her up and apologize for being such a clueless idiot. That didn't mean that he would actually do the logical thing. In all reality he just stood there freaking out and waving his arms at her like an idiot, no doubt giving her the impression that he himself was a rapist/murderer stalking for innocent young girls to punch in the face.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry – I didn't mean to! Well, yeah, seeing as how I don't know you and all I'd probably wait to know you before I hit you –! I mean, I don't hit girls! Except for Kairi and Selphie 'cause they're not actually girls -! I mean -!"

She was looking at him with huge blue eyes as if he were some kind of horrid monster risen from the depths of hell. Which was pretty much what he felt like, really.

"I'm sorry!"

He managed to squeeze that out without any flailing or arm-waving, which was good.

"Oh, It's alright, really."

"…Uh...yeah…"

He was a little surprised no one around them bothered to say anything, because it really must have looked like he deliberately punched her in the mouth. 'Maybe everyone in this crackpot town is just used to seeing this kind of thing they just don't care…wow, she's really pretty…'

"…Um, I'm going to go…" Nameless Blonde Girl said nervously, no doubt anxious about the vacant stare he wore while looking at her. "Have a nice day, I guess. Oh, my chin…"

Amidst Sora's menagerie of funny faces and lopsided apologies, a crimson trail of blood was dripping from her lip and trembled down her chin. "Wait, I'll get you some tissues or something! Oh, wait, I don't have any…uh -!"

In all honesty, he reached out to try and wipe away the blood with his hand and ended up hitting her in the lip again.

"Ow! Stop, please, just stop!"

"Augh! I'm really sorry!"

Again with the flailing. He should've just stayed home to avoid all the battery. If this kept up he was going to get arrested.

"It's okay" she insisted, backing away a bit (he didn't really blame her). "I have somewhere I need to be, so…"

"Oh! Um, can I ask a favor? Even though I assaulted you – on accident - "

"Yeah…" She was still inching away from him, her arms slightly raised in case of another attack. Really, Sora's hot summer romance was going down the tubes pretty fast.

"Uh, I'm kinda lost. I don't really live here; I was supposed to be home a while ago."

He was trying to ask the girl he'd just accidentally mugged for directions without seeming like a total looser. It probably wasn't working, but it was worth a try to reclaim at least some of his dignity. That is, if he had any left at that point.

"The place I'm staying at is by Macoroni-Horen, that flower place –"

"Ah, are you Sora?" She guessed, brightening up a tad. Her enthusiasm caught Sora a bit off-guard, along with the fact that she was now inching back towards him.

"What? Um, yeah? How do you -?"

"I'm Namine!" she said, all smiles and happiness (the weird grossness of her puffy lip only made her look cuter. If Sora wasn't so dumbfounded he probably would've attempted to hit on her). "Namine!" she said again, with wide arms. As if he were supposed to know who she was.

"Um…okay…."

"…You don't know who I am, do you?" Namine faltered, her cute-and-happy look slowing fading. He didn't want to disappoint her (after attacking her), but he really didn't have a clue of how to react. Plus, after seeing the goings-on of the town (murder, etc.), he was starting to question hanging around some random chick he didn't know. They weren't standing in a crowd of people, either, so if she wanted to she could do him in herself.

No his imagination was not running wild.

"Uh…"

"That's okay. I'm not surprised no one has mentioned me. I'm pretty plain so I tend to just hang around in the background, you know?"

"I guess?"

"I'd expect this from Cloud – he once asked me when his brother's birthday was – but Aeris? I expected better from her…"

"I guess?"

In short, her tangent went on and Sora stood on, not quite knowing what do to. She knew Cloud and Aeris by name, which probably meant she actually knew them for reasons not explained. However, she could've just pulled two random names out of a hat in the hopes of luring in an innocent victim (even though he victimized her).

"Oh yeah, I'm working for them starting tomorrow. Aeris had mentioned her sisters and their friend were visiting this summer. Did I mention that?"

"No."

"Ah, well I am! I was actually on my way there now, to talk to Aeris about when I needed to show up at the shop."

"You're working at the flower shop? Not the house?"

Namine gave him the look Leon always did when he asked "unique" questions. It was startling, really, how similar their faces were…

"Yeah. What would I be doing working in their house? A maid or something?"

"Well, you see, Tidus is –"

"He's _what_?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Uh, nothing!" Sora exclaimed, inwardly kicking himself for the whole vivid imagination thing again.

"But, if it's not a problem, could you get me back? If I show up late I won't be able to fight Leon for the fold-out bed."

"Leon?" she asked, frowning at him. "Leon who?"

"My brother Leon…?" Really, even if she _did_ know how to get him un-lost, her spaciness was a little off-putting at least. She was still cute, but it just seemed a little off. 'Well, she _is_ blonde…'

"Never mind" she murmured, pouting her lips. "I guess I'll see when I get there. He will be there, right?"

"I don't see why not. He generally stays where crowds aren't."

So cute, yet so weird. But but -! It looked like his hot summer fling wasn't a miscalculation! It would be even better if Kairi came home without having obtained a Fling, that way he could rub Namine in her face!

"Yay me!"

"Yay you what?"

"Um, nothing" he said, taking up stride beside her. It was best if they walked close together – it would lower the chances of him getting abducted, and it would make them look like a couple.

"Nothing…but you know since I met you this segment's been almost nothing but straight dialogue?"

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. I might've broken the fourth wall!"

"…I see…"

after about 30 years, an update! sorry its not on a story anyone actually reads...


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